Lost in Paradise
Chapter Ten
Rough Waters
After meeting Leilani's father and getting his own surfboard, Izzy was ready to begin his surf lessons. His board was a medium-sized one just like Keoni's. It was yellow and had three fins close to each other on the tail end. It looked wide enough for Izzy to lie on comfortably. Now the trio of kids was standing at the water's edge, each with their boards hanging off their arms. Their ankle leashes hung freely off their boards, not yet connected to their owners. They marveled at the sight of the waves as they felt the calm breeze blow past them and the soothing water soak their feet.
"Ahhhh…" They all sighed contently.
'Finally, the moment of truth.' Izzy thought.
He was ready for this, he knew it. He had to learn how to surf so that he can understand the inner workings of the ocean and apply that knowledge to his own being. He was going to make himself a better person for Keoni and Iggy. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Woah, hang on a sec!" Leilani shouted urgently. Izzy stopped and gave her a curious look. "I know my cousin probably forgot to ask you this because he always forgets the important stuff—"
"Hey!" Keoni protested. She ignored him.
"—But you do know how to swim right?"
Both boys blinked and looked at each other. How could they forget that detail? If Izzy couldn't remember a thing when he first woke up, would he even remember how to do something as simple as swim? If he couldn't swim, then how could he possibly surf? All it'd take is one wipeout and… Keoni gulped at the thought of losing his crush to the sea barely a day after meeting him. He couldn't believe he was about to make a terrible mistake like make Izzy drown!
"Swim…?" Izzy trailed off as he stuck his board in the sand. He turned to Leilani. "You mean move your arms in the water like this?"
He leaned forward and moved both arms in a clockwise motion while turning his body to the left and right. Keoni breathed a sigh of relief at the display. At least he didn't have to worry about that outcome. Leilani nodded her approval.
"Well alright then, but you know you have to move your legs too, right?"
"Yep," Izzy nodded. "I gotta move them up and down for speed and keeping myself floating. I can also do a breaststroke if I have to move underwater." He brought his arms in front of him and moved them to the side a couple of times to prove it. He stood straight up and stretched. "I can do a doggy paddle too if I need to."
"So you remember all that, but you couldn't remember your own name yesterday?" Leilani smirked. Izzy shrugged in response.
"I didn't exactly write the book on amnesia, ya know? I'm just winging it, really." Then he remembered what Mommi and Keoni told him yesterday. "'The body never forgets, though the mind might.'"
"Glad to know you kept that in mind, cuz." Keoni commented, putting a hand on his shoulder. To his surprise, Izzy held it as he turned to the shorter boy. Izzy smiled warmly at him, causing a light blush to cross the other's face.
"I think that's become my mantra. I could never forget that." He smirked mischievously as he rubbed Keoni's hand, causing the lighter boy's blush to darken. "Among other things."
He snickered as Keoni stuttered in response to that crack. Leilani rolled her eyes.
"Ok, can we please get some surfing in before you two lovebirds go at it again?.?.?"
That made Izzy follow Keoni's example, forcing her to slap her forehead. Yep, they really needed to get it over with and kiss. Surely that'll stop their antics! …Right? Looking at them, the only female of the trio was having her doubts. She sighed. While the boys were trying to get over this latest round in their strange game, Leilani slipped her ankle leash on and secured it tightly. Once it was tied safely, she stood, waiting for the other two.
The first one to get over it was Keoni, who cleared his throat, getting into teacher mode again.
"Alright brah," He started. That seemed to do the trick as Izzy shook his head and stood at attention. It amazed Leilani how fast they could get out of their lovey-dovey mode. She wondered if they were being serious or not. "Time for your first official surf lesson! You ready?"
"You bet!" Izzy clenched both fists. "I'm pumped!.!.!"
"Good to hear! Now surfing's not really that hard. It just requires three very basic things to get started. The first is balance. If you can balance yourself on your board, you'll be able to ride the waves with ease. This requires you to feel the waves with your feet."
"Wha?" Izzy blinked. "My feet?" He looked down and wiggled his toes.
"Yeah cuz, your feet." Keoni nodded. "The waves can change in an instant. As a surfer, you have to be able to judge when to switch your position on the board to adjust to those changes. It's important that you keep your feet planted firmly on your board at all times when you're standing. You're a beginner so I don't want to see any fancy tricks just yet, ok?"
"Erm, ok…" The other boy scratched his head, wondering what sort of tricks one could do out in the water.
"The second thing you have to know is how to maintain your stance. This is basically how you stand on the board. Like I said, your feet have to be completely on the board whenever you're standing. Keep them far apart to keep your balance, like this."
Keoni stood with his legs apart. His feet dug evenly into the sand under his weight. Izzy nodded, doing his best to keep all of this in mind.
"Next, bend your knees. There's no way you'll be able to stand straight up and keep balanced at the same time. At least not until you get more experience. You'll be adjusting which leg is carrying most of your weight while moving on the wave."
To illustrate his point, Keoni bent both of his legs. Then he moved his body back and forth a couple of times, each time emphasizing the weight he was putting on each leg. Izzy suppressed a giggle at the demonstration. The lighter boy seemed to be doing an odd sort of dance. Izzy would've gladly joined in if it wasn't for the fact he was supposed to be an attentive student at the moment. So he just stood still.
"It's best to just go with your gut when trying to decide which leg to put most of your weight on." Keoni continued. "You also have to bend your body and spread out your arms to maintain balance."
He bent his body forward and put his left arm in front of him while his right was held up behind him. His hands were held out with his fingers spread apart. He faced ahead, pretending he was surfing. Izzy was impressed. The other boy seemed to know what he was talking about. Keoni's stance seemed about perfect. He was sturdy and yet loose at the same time. He was focused on an imaginary wave as he bent his legs lower and then higher. It was at that moment Izzy realized just how much surfing experience his crush must've had. He felt fortunate to have such a strong individual for a surf coach.
"Alright brah," Keoni started, standing straight up. "Let's see you give it a shot. Get into a stance like the one I just showed ya."
"Ok, Keoni." Izzy complied.
He did as he was told. He did his best to imitate Keoni's stance. As he did so, the lighter brunette walked around him, making sure he was doing it right. After the second lap, Keoni stopped in front of Izzy and held his chin.
"Hmmm… Almost got it…" He commented as he got behind Izzy. "You gotta bend your body a little more. Like so…"
Before Izzy could do anything to stop him, Keoni brought both arms around his waist and pushed his body down against him. The dark brunette went about twenty shades of red as he felt the other boy's bare skin brush up against his own. Izzy's mind went blank as he allowed Keoni to bend his torso into the proper position.
Quickly noticing the change in Izzy's demeanor, a smirking Keoni brought his hands up Izzy's body, taking care to get a proper feel of the dark one's chest. Izzy's breath caught in his throat as he felt the other's digits move just about everywhere. This wasn't the same feeling he had mere moments ago during their tickle fight. The movements were made with strong, suggestive motives behind them. All the same though, he inwardly begged Keoni to keep going. He didn't want this feeling to end.
"Hm, not bad cuz…" The lighter boy breathed into his ear, causing Izzy to shudder. "Your arms should be a little higher though…"
He ran his fingers up the sides of the darker boy's body, causing Izzy to quiver at the touch. He brushed past the kid's armpits and gently gripped his arms. Izzy took the opportunity to let air into his lungs as Keoni raised his arms a few degrees so they were facing straight ahead and behind him. Just as he was about to take another breath, the light brunette reached down low, painfully past Izzy's shorts, and gently pushed his thighs down. The action made Izzy feel like he was going to faint. Regrettably, Keoni pulled away to make sure his friend got it right. Though he was quickly missing the warmth of the other boy's body, Izzy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Voila! The perfect surf stance!" Keoni nodded to himself. "Keep that stance in the water and you'll be able to ride just about any wave you come across brah!"
"Y-you r-really think so?" Izzy asked, fighting to get rid of the blush overtaking his face.
"I know it! …With a little practice of course." Keoni chuckled. The other boy rolled his eyes.
"Of course. So that's two things I need down, what's the third thing I need in order to surf?"
"Ah yes, the third and most important thing." The shorter boy started. "This is very essential to your success as a surfer cuz! If you don't have this vital element, you might as well give up trying to learn before you even start!"
Izzy gulped at that. "Wh-what do I have to have?"
Keoni smirked as he walked to Izzy's front and moved his face within inches of the other boy's. Once again, Izzy turned bright red as he felt the lighter one's forehead push up against his own. The look on Keoni's face was positively seductive. It took everything Izzy had to not succumb to his desires and close the distance between them. Keoni fought to keep a poker face as he relished in the darker one's nervousness.
"You gotta have fun, brah." He whispered. Izzy blinked at Keoni as he pulled away smirking.
'Ohhhh he's good…' He thought, wiping his sweaty head. 'He got me TWICE in a row!'
"Fun huh?" He said as he stood up.
"Yep," Keoni nodded. "If you can't have fun surfing, there's just no point in doing it! Remember what I told you last night?"
"That I looked handsome without my hat on?"
"Erm, not quite." The other boy suppressed a grin. "Though that's something you should really keep in mind."
Another roll of the eyes. "Right…"
"I mean when I told you surfing's the most fun you'll ever have out there. I was being serious when I said that, cuz. When you have fun, you forget all of your troubles. They just get left behind on the beach. You're able to keep your mind focused on what's making you happy. That's one of the cornerstones of the Aloha Spirit, having fun with your friends and loved ones and sharing your happiness with them and vice versa."
"'Loved ones…'" Izzy repeated to himself. He wondered if Keoni would ever be put into that category. He smiled at the thought.
"Ok, I think you're ready to hit the water, Izzy." Keoni said as he walked over to his board. "I'm gonna tell you this now; you will fall a lot before you even ride your first wave."
"Gee that's real comforting." The other boy's voice was laced with sarcasm.
"But like I said, just have fun and you'll get the hang of it. Me and Leilani will be there with you the whole time, so no worries ok?"
Izzy faced the girl in question, who was watching the lesson taking place the whole time. Leilani noticed the look and nodded her support. Izzy gave her a smile and returned the nod before turning back to Keoni.
"No worries."
With that, the boys strapped on their ankle leashes and joined Leilani at the water's edge once again. Without another word, the two cousins ran head on into the water, sending droplets all over the place before sitting on their boards a yard in. They were balanced perfectly as they floated on the surface. They looked back at Izzy who still hadn't jumped in. They beckoned him to come into the water. Izzy gave the beach one last look.
"Just leave your troubles behind…" He said to himself. He took a deep breath and turned towards his friends. He grinned as he shouted, "Time to have fun!.!.!"
He ran in as fast as he could. Water splashed all around him as he put both hands on his board. He brought it in front of him and hopped on. He lay on the board as he allowed his speed to send him drifting towards Keoni and Leilani. He soon stopped about a few feet away from them. He blinked when he noticed he wasn't getting closer to them.
"Hey, how do I move!.?" He shouted to Keoni.
"Just paddle brah!" Keoni answered, moving his arms clockwise.
Izzy did as he was told. He brought his arms to the water and pushed himself towards the others one arm at a time. As he moved farther and farther away from the beach, he began to feel lighter, as if the weight of all his worries and fears was gradually disappearing. The grin returned to his face as he got closer to Keoni and Leilani. All he wanted right now was to ride his first wave. He couldn't wait to enjoy the thrill of riding the waves with his buddies.
"Welcome to the lineup cuz!" Keoni greeted when Izzy reached them. The dark brunette gave him a strange look as he sat up.
"Uh thanks. What do you mean by 'lineup'?"
"In surfing, etiquette is very important. If you want to make friends, you have to respect your fellow surfers. The lineup is where everyone hangs out. It's pretty much where the shallow water meets the deep end where the waves are at their biggest. You'll do your mingling here."
"That's not just what the lineup's for." Leilani cut in. "It also tells you the order everyone surfs in. Since Keoni's on the left, he gets the first wave. I get the next one since I'm beside him, and you get the third wave. Then we do the whole thing all over again. You have to remember to never break the lineup for anything! You have to ride the waves in order. Also, never try to drop in on someone else's wave or else!"
"O-or else what?" Izzy gulped.
The girl smirked. "If you break any of those rules, you'll get the stink eye from everyone around you!"
"Stink eye?"
"This!"
Leilani glared at him coldly while allowing her right eye to protrude almost to the point it looked like it would've fallen out of its socket. Izzy gave a yelp of fright and jumped into the water. Both Makanis roared in laughter at the reaction. As Izzy resurfaced, he started to wonder if he should take what anybody named Makani says as reality. Anybody except a certain boy of course, he'd trust him with his life if he had to. Still, he was finding it more and more difficult to believe anyone else in his flame's family. The dark one spat out water and parted his hair which had fallen in front of his eyes.
"Assuming this isn't another gag, that's something bad, right?" He asked as he climbed back onto his board.
"Oh it's real alright, brah." Keoni confirmed. "Believe me; you don't want to get the stink eye. It's more or less a branding that never leaves you. It's very hard to bounce back from a stink eye, but just remember those rules Leilani told ya and you'll be fine."
"Alright, no prob." Izzy nodded.
"Hm?" The other boy looked ahead and smirked when he saw a large wave forming. "Ok Izzy, just watch me. I'll show ya how surfing's done!"
"Go for it, Keoni!" Izzy cheered him on as he paddled out towards the wave.
Keoni blushed when he heard the words of encouragement. He was glad he was in the water at long last so his burning face would be under control. He shook his head and concentrated on the task at hand. He was going to make sure Izzy knew of both his strength and the strength of the waves.
Keoni got farther ahead and swiftly turned his board around. Shortly after, the wave caught his board and lifted him up. He put on a look of concentration as he stood up and got into the very same stance he had shown Izzy. Keoni guided his board farther up into the wave. Once he was at the proper height, he started making sharp and speedy movements. He was just a blur to Izzy and Leilani as he went up, down, and around in the wave. He repeated those motions for about a minute. Then he rode into the crest of the wave and grinded it as if he was sliding down a rail on his skateboard.
By the time Keoni finally kicked out of the wave, Izzy was gaping in amazement. He's never seen anything more beautiful in recent memory! The lighter brunette's performance was nothing short of awesome and he made sure Keoni knew that fact! When Keoni returned to the lineup, Izzy was complimenting him left and right. Poor Keoni was blushing so much; not even splashing some water on his face would help!
The splashing, of course, was courtesy of Leilani, who was feeling a little put out by the amnesiac's compliments. She knew the kid loved her cousin and vice versa, but really, this was too much! Rolling her eyes, she paddled out to ride her wave. When she came back a few minutes later, they were STILL talking about Keoni's wave! They didn't even notice when she pulled off an awesome spin and wound up getting tubed! She huffed and crossed her arms.
"Oh man! The way you were going around and around without so much as falling was so cool!" Izzy grinned.
"Heh, it was nothing really." Keoni said sheepishly. "It was pretty easy to pull off."
"You kidding? That was so awesome! And what about the sweet—"
"Yo! It's your turn, newbie!" Leilani shouted.
Both boys turned and went red in embarrassment when they saw the glower on her face.
"Erm, you already did your wave, cuz?" Keoni asked with his eyebrow raised. The girl rolled her eyes.
"Gee, how kind of you to finally notice." She said with sarcasm.
"Heh, oops…" Her cousin rubbed the back of his head. Leilani wasn't amused.
"What's the matter?" Izzy asked, tilting his head curiously.
"Oh nothing…" She huffed. "Except you guys are supposed to be watching me!"
The boy in the hat raised a confused eyebrow. "Uh, no offense, but that's kinda selfish…"
Leilani glared at him and prepared to deliver him a few choice words when Keoni spoke up.
"Actually, she's right brah." He said with a bit of guilt in his voice. "Part of being in the lineup also involves watching the backs of your fellow surfers. In case they get into a really bad wipeout. If anything serious happens, the other surfers are supposed to help out that person or get a lifeguard. That's why we're all out here together." He turned to Leilani. "Sorry about that, cuz. It won't happen again."
"Yeah, sorry…" Izzy added, bowing his head. "I'll try to be more attentive too…"
Leilani glowered at them for a little longer before sighing.
"No worries." She acknowledged their apologies. She smirked at them as she added, "I get that there are better things to look at."
Keoni blushed darkly at that implication while Izzy could only grin.
"Oh yeah, don't I know it!" He shouted, putting an arm around the other boy.
Keoni's face suddenly felt so hot, he was certain the water around him would start boiling. It took a couple of minutes before he finally got out of Izzy's grip. The dark one pouted at the sudden absence of the other's warmth. Keoni noticed this and gave him a reassuring look.
"C'mon brah, we can always play later."
"Heh, I'm looking forward to it." Izzy teased, winking at him. Keoni rolled his eyes at that.
"Well it's your turn. Give it your best shot and remember, just have fun!"
"'Just have fun…' Right."
Izzy took a deep breath and paddled himself towards the next wave. Following Keoni's example, he started to turn his board around to catch the wave. However, he was a tad slow and was barreled over while in the middle of the turn. He gave a startled yelp as the wave washed over him. Leilani was beside herself with laughter as Izzy poked his head above the surface. He had an arm wrapped around his board as he shook the water from his head. He was a little dazed, but he quickly got back on the board. He started back towards the others when Keoni held up a hand.
"Give it another try cuz!" He shouted. "You gotta turn your board around faster!"
Izzy nodded in response and turned around. He paddled a little farther out when he noticed another wave coming. He quickly turned the board around and waited for the wave to come. To his relief, the wave did indeed pick up the board. Unfortunately, that was about the only thing that went right. Seconds later, he and his board were pushed up so fast, he wound up tipping the board forward and falling face first into the water! He resurfaced and continued trying to ride a wave. To Keoni's annoyance, Leilani was STILL laughing it up as the kid struggled to stay afloat. She was banging on her board as Izzy suffered wipeout after wipeout.
"Cuz, this ain't helping him…" He tried, crossing his arms and glowering at her.
"I know… I'm sorry…" Leilani stifled another round of laughs…for about two seconds. "But it's just so hilarious! HAHAHA!.!.!"
"Ugh…" Keoni slapped his forehead and turned back to Izzy as yet another wave knocked him over.
That was when he noticed the other boy was having trouble staying on the board. Keoni didn't see it before, but Izzy seemed to be having a really tough time keeping his balance. He was tipping and swaying from side to side even while staying still waiting for a wave. Keoni gave Izzy a look that was a mix of understanding and pity. He knew plenty of people that had trouble keeping balance during their first time in the water, including himself.
Before the darker kid could wipe out again, Keoni called him over. Izzy was panting as he paddled back to the pair of cousins.
"Oh man…" He breathed. "It's so hard just to stay on the board… How do you guys do it?"
"Practice for starters." Leilani remarked, earning herself an exasperated look from the boys.
"Anyway!" Keoni turned to Izzy. "I think I know the problem. Ya see, you don't just need balance while on the waves, you need to keep balanced while you're chilling on the surface too!" He looked away guiltily. "I'm sorry I forgot to mention that earlier…"
"Well that would've been nice to know beforehand, but it can't be helped." Izzy reached over and lifted Keoni's chin. A tinge of red crossed the other boy's face as the darker one gave him a forgiving look. "Don't worry about it, ok?"
Keoni smiled as he looked into the other boy's eyes. He was glad to have such a kindhearted friend. He nodded at Izzy.
"Ok."
"So how do we fix this balance problem anyway?"
"We just gotta find that sweet spot on the board. The one place you can center all your weight on without falling. Once we figure that out, you should be able to handle the waves a little easier."
"Sounds good to me." Izzy said as he sat straight up.
Almost instantly afterwards, he tipped to his left and wound up falling over. Leilani gave a snicker at the sight. Izzy resurfaced with a groan.
"Hm…" Keoni held his chin as Izzy climbed back on his board. "Try sitting on the back, cuz."
Izzy did so, causing himself to fall backwards. Leilani covered her mouth. He quickly resurfaced, spat out a fountain of water, and then glowered at the girl. That only managed to make Leilani laugh full blast. Izzy rolled his eyes as he took off his hat and rung it out.
"Ok…" Keoni blinked as Izzy put his lid back on. "Try the front this time."
"Alright, this time it's gotta work!" The dark one cheered as he hopped onto the nose of his board…and quickly sunk. "Or not!" He blurted out before going under.
"Aw man!" Keoni snapped his fingers and scratched his head. "Where could that sweet spot be?"
"It ain't underwater, that's for sure!" Izzy gargled. His head broke through the surface, allowing him to cough and sputter. When he caught his breath, he threw his head up and shouted, "Why won't this work!.?.! Does the Aloha Spirit not want me to surf or what!.?.!"
"Relax, you'll get it."
Izzy snapped his head towards Leilani, who surprisingly was the one to say that. Even Keoni gave her a look of shock. She's normally not this good with newcomers, not since Twister anyway. He smiled at her. Maybe she was starting to warm up to Izzy. She took no notice of the boys' stares as she continued.
"Just keep at it. It always takes new guys awhile to figure out balance. It's nothing new, trust me."
Izzy sighed at that. He looked unsure about that as he laid his head on his board.
"She's right, brah." Keoni supplied, giving him an encouraging look. "We're gonna figure this out together and get you surfing."
"I guess…" Izzy gave another sigh. There was sadness in his voice, as well as a sense of defeat. Keoni's expression quickly changed to a sharp glare.
"Hey! You can't be like that cuz!"
Both Izzy and Leilani were surprised by the sudden sternness in his voice. Up til now, he was being understanding and kind to the former. The latter had never seen her cousin acting more chummy and in love with anybody else. Not since… Both kids stared at him as he paddled himself over to Izzy. He helped the boy back onto his board and held his hands, still maintaining that hard look. Izzy shrank under his stare.
"If you're going to master the Aloha Spirit, you can't have any doubt in your mind about anything!"
"Wh-what do you mean?"
Keoni sighed in resignation. "I was gonna save this lesson til later, but now's as good a time as any. Under the Aloha Spirit, there's an opposite of blessing. It's called cursing."
"Cursing?" Izzy gave a curious look. "Like saying bad words?"
Keoni shook his head.
"I mean doing bad things like criticizing someone or something instead of admiring them; or doubting something instead of affirming the good in it; blaming someone or something for your sorrows instead of appreciating the good they bring you; and especially worrying about some future event instead of anticipating a good outcome with trust and faith. When you do any of those things, you cancel out any blessing you've done. And the more you do it, the more you'll hurt yourself and others around you."
Izzy gulped. "S-so the blessing I gave you…?"
Keoni gave him a warm smile and rubbed his hands. "Brah, I can never forget that blessing you gave me… It was one of the best I've ever personally received."
He gave a chuckle when he saw the other boy let out a relieved breath. The firm look quickly returned.
"But please promise me you'll do everything in your power to avoid cursing. While that blessing will always stay in my heart forever, other blessings you give can be fragile and will easily break when you curse something. This works in reverse with blessing. The more you bless the less harm any curses you have given or will ever give will do. That's why I told you to bless all the time, to heal any cursing you might've done."
"The more I bless the less harm my curses will do…" Izzy repeated.
Tears escaped from his eyes when he realized he must've cursed a lot prior to losing his memory. If that recent flashback meant anything, he more than likely cursed not just his rival, but his brother hundreds if not thousands of times. Even then, who knows how many other people and things he's cursed back in Ocean Shores? He bowed his head sorrowfully as he wondered if he could ever negate the negativity he exuded back home. He'd have to do countless blessings to counteract his cursing. A sob forced its way out of his mouth as he contemplated all that.
"Hey, c'mon cuz…" Keoni said as he held Izzy close to him. The boy in the hat let loose his tears. "Stop the water works. It'll be alright. I won't let you go through this alone."
"Y-you won't…?"
"Nope. You'll have me always and forever. I'll keep you from cursing so you can heal your heart. Then we'll go and heal those you cursed before coming here."
Izzy's eyes were red and puffy as he looked up at the other boy. Keoni was smiling at him. That same warm smile and gentle eyes. That was the look Izzy fell in love with. He prayed that Keoni never loses that expression for anything. He wanted that look to be the very first thing he sees in the morning and the last thing he sees at night. He wanted to be able to see that blessed expression every day for the rest of their lives.
"Together?" His voice cracked. Keoni's smile deepened as he nodded.
"Together."
They embraced each other. Izzy took a deep breath, ending the cascade of tears. He sniffled and wiped his eyes as a smile of his own appeared on his face. He was happy to have this boy to light up his life. He was feeling so much better about everything. He felt confident that he'll learn how to surf and become a happier person. He also felt that he'll have Keoni in his life for years to come, hopefully as more than a friend. No wait, he had to anticipate a good outcome. He will have Keoni as more than a friend. He had to believe that.
"Keoni…" He started. "I promise to never curse anybody or anything ever again."
He felt Keoni's hair rub against the side of his head in response. He couldn't see the boy's face, but he knew Keoni was pleased to hear that. He had to be.
The boys pulled away from each other. They were giving each other differing looks. Keoni's was a supportive one while Izzy was giving the former a bright look. The lighter one was glad to see Izzy wasn't crying anymore. That expression simply didn't suit him Keoni felt. Being sad and angry made him seem like a whole other person. The latter made him look like a monster while the former made him seem so fragile. That was when Keoni decided he liked a happy Izzy more than one with any other expression. He was going to make sure Izzy was happy twenty-four/seven by the time he regains his memory.
"Hey Izzy!" Leilani called, smirking at him.
"Yeah?"
"You're balanced on your board!"
Izzy gave her a curious, wide-eyed look. "Wha?.?.?"
"Hey she's right!" Keoni agreed. "You're not swaying at all! Congrats brah!"
Izzy blinked and looked down at the board. He was sitting just a little behind his board's midpoint. Both of his hands were positioned on the board and not moving at all. His knees were poking out of the water and gripping the board, keeping him steady. He gasped happily.
"I'm…balanced?" He put on a broad grin. "I'M BALANCED!.!.! WAHOO!.!.!" He cheered and punched the air.
"Heh, nice going cuz." Keoni complimented as Izzy tested out several poses, each time keeping himself balanced. "Think you wanna give surfing another go?"
Izzy was lying on his side as he nodded. "Yeah, let's give it another shot."
"Go for it then! And remember to anticipate yourself riding on the wave!"
"Got it!"
The boy in the hat once again lay on his board and paddled himself towards the next wave. Along the way, he was smirking as he pictured himself riding on top of the wave, doing all sorts of crazy moves like Keoni did on his wave. Izzy envisioned himself conquering any and all waves he came across. He was going to impress Keoni so much; the boy was going to be over the moon in love with him. He was laughing as he imagined him and Keoni sharing a deep kiss just after his successful surfing attempt.
Izzy shook his head when he realized the next wave was closing in on him. Remembering his past mishaps, he turned his board around as fast as he could and kept his balance rigid. Then the wave picked up his board. Maintaining his balance, he stood straight up. He gasped when he realized he was actually standing on his board, riding the wave. He could see over Keoni and Leilani's heads. He was even able to see the Makani ranch from the beach all the way to Mommi's hut. It was an amazing feeling. He could clearly feel the water moving under his feet. He could feel the wave's energy flowing all around the board. He wasn't wobbling in the slightest. It was as if he was the wave's master. It was empowering to know he had finally controlled a wave. It felt like nothing could knock him down now!
"Izzy!" Keoni shouted urgently. "Get into your stance!"
Izzy's eyes widened after hearing that.
"M-my stance?" He slapped his hand over his mouth. "Oh crud, my stance! That's right!"
Izzy spread his feet apart and then held his hands out in both directions. Just as he was about to bend his body into the proper position, his left foot slipped! He panicked and fought his hardest to keep his balance. His body was wobbling back and forth as he spun his arms around. No matter what he did, he simply couldn't get his foot back on the board. Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, the wave wound up shifting his board! He gave a frightened shout as he finally fell backwards off the board and into the wave.
About a minute passed before he resurfaced. His eyes were spinning as he took in a couple lungfuls of air. He shook his head and allowed the current to bring him back to Keoni and Leilani. When he reached them, he had noticed Leilani was again laughing her head off at the performance. To Keoni's disappointment, Izzy had his head down as he sat on his board. His hat and spiky hair blocked his eyes and expression, but Keoni was sure of what he must've been feeling. The lighter boy had a look of pity on his face as he thought about how to lift his bud's spirits.
"Izzy…? You alright brah?"
That was when he heard a strange sound coming from the taller boy. It was low, but it quickly grew. Both Keoni and Leilani put on looks of confusion when they realized he was chuckling. That feeling only multiplied when the chuckles turned into full blown hysterics. Izzy lifted his head, revealing his expression. He was actually happy about wiping out! He was holding his sides with one arm while the other was holding his forehead.
"HAHAHA!.!.! Alright? Alright?.?.? I'm feeling great!.!.!" He got out before another round of laughter left his mouth. "Did you see that awesome wipeout?.?.? I was all, 'Woah!' and then, 'Yikes!' Then I just fell right in with a huge splash!.!.! That was so epic!.!.! HAHAHA!.!.!"
"I'll say!" Leilani joined in the laughter. "A real epic fail right there! HAHAHA!.!.!"
"I know right?.?.?" Izzy wiped away a tear. "That was so fun!.!.! I can't wait to give it another shot!"
Keoni blinked oddly as the two laughed it up. They were both nuts, he just knew it. Then again...Izzy was supposed to be having fun… He even said so himself. He soon shook his head and smirked at the boy. He's never seen anything crazier. Up til this point, he's never known anybody to just laugh off a wipeout, especially on their first time out in the water. He himself remembered feeling low and dejected when he wiped out for that entire first day of surfing many years ago. It was simply unheard of for anyone to be smiling and laughing after experiencing a wipeout as bad as the one Izzy just did. Wipeouts like that are known to break your spirit. Perhaps the amnesiac didn't yet have a spirit to break since he was only starting out? Or maybe he did have a spirit and it was simply stronger than Keoni originally thought. Either way, it was comforting to know he was willing to try again. That's really all that counts to Keoni.
'I've said it once and I'll say it again,' He chuckled to himself, 'he's a crazy kid. Wonder if that's why I love him so much…'
"Yo Keoni!" Izzy broke him out of his reverie. "It's your turn, man!"
"Huh what?" He sputtered, looking up. Both Izzy and Leilani were giving him strange looks. He shook his head when he remembered his place in the lineup. "Oh yeah, almost forgot about that. Heh, heh…" He chuckled as he paddled out. Both kids were still looking after him. A few seconds passed before they faced each other and shrugged.
And so things continued like that for the next couple of hours. Everyone took their turns on the waves one after another. Keoni and Leilani would successfully ride their waves, nailing several tricks with ease. Izzy, meanwhile, would continuously fall off his waves. Despite his constant failures to surf even one wave, he was having a ball. He was grinning and laughing with his friends.
When Keoni commented on the change in attitude, Izzy shrugged and said that he's been feeling great ever since he mastered balancing on his board. Of course, he remembered that it was only a third of the requirements to actually surf, but at the moment, he really didn't care all that much. He was having way too much fun to notice how many times he's wiped out! ("That's twenty now!" Leilani giggled as Izzy returned to the lineup. "Ha! Only twenty? I thought I broke forty by now!" He retorted with a grin.) He assured Keoni that there was plenty of time to figure out how to keep his stance steady. The chocolate haired boy agreed with that, but still, it would be nice if Izzy actually managed to ride one wave before the day ended.
As it turned out, he got his wish…sort of.
After his fiftieth fall, Izzy tried yet again to surf a wave. The wave caught his board and brought him several feet into the air. The boy wobbled as he stood up, but only for a moment. Getting used to the wave's energy rather quickly, he planted both feet firmly on the board. A determined look crossed his features as he bent his body and held out his arms at equal length to his sides. He kept himself steady as the wave continued moving him closer and closer to shore.
"Yeah Izzy!.!.!" Keoni cheered him on. "You're doing it, brah!.!.! Try moving around a bit!"
Smirking, Izzy followed the other boy's advice. He turned his board to his right and moved himself up and down the wall of water. For once Leilani wasn't laughing at him as he swerved the board sharply multiple times. He was actually whipping the wave as he brought himself down to the water's surface. To the two Makanis' amazement, he skidded along the surface before bringing himself back into the wave. He was actually doing a decent job of keeping his stance rigid. He was laughing as the wave began losing energy.
"Yes!.!.!" He shouted in joy. "I'm actually surfing!.!.! HAHAHA!.!.!"
It seemed like he would make it all the way to shore without falling.
"Huh?" Keoni looked a bit farther from Izzy's position and his eyes widened when he noticed how fast he was nearing a large rock jutting out of the water. He gasped. "LOOK OUT!.!.!"
"You're gonna crash!.!.!" Leilani supplied, covering her eyes. She peeked out from between her fingers seconds later.
"Wha…?" Izzy blinked.
He looked ahead and paled when he saw the oncoming hazard. He was on a collision course!.!.!
"Oh crap!.!.!" He shouted as he moved his body to get out of the wave.
His board wouldn't move though. It was hopelessly stuck on the wave. Nothing he did would detach the board from the dying wave. He was less than a yard away as he continued struggling against the wave to no avail.
"H-how do I stop this thing!.?.!" He screamed.
"Quick jump off brah!.!.!" Keoni advised urgently. "Don't worry about breaking the board! You can't be replaced!"
"Got it!" Izzy nodded.
He bent his legs and hopped off the board. In those brief seconds of air time, he breathed a sigh of relief. Now he'll just land in the water safely.
However, what the boys didn't count on was the speed in which Izzy was going. After all those maneuvers in the wave, he was moving so fast, his inertia caused him to crash his entire body into the rock! Keoni and Leilani cringed at the sickening sound his body made. Without a second thought, they paddled over to him.
The waves washed over the dark kid as he remained pressed against the rock. His surfboard (unharmed and still attached to his ankle) was slapping against the side of the rock. Mere seconds passed before he finally fell backwards into the water. His eyes were shut as the current brought him back to shore. He was out cold as he washed up on the beach. As fast as lightning, Keoni got back to shore and ran over to the boy. When he got close, he slid on the sand and crawled up to Izzy. Horror was written all over his face as he held him close.
"Wake up Izzy!.!.!" He panicked. He shook the boy for a moment or two before Izzy coughed and sputtered for air. Keoni gave him a relieved look. "Whew… You're alright…"
"Heh, heh, heh… Wipeout…~" Izzy sang dizzily. He opened his eyes and faced the lighter boy. Everything was distorted and spinning as he tried to regain his bearings. He gave Keoni a shaky smile. "Oh man… Since when did you have identical triplet brothers, Keoni? You all look so hot…"
Ignoring that…term of endearment, the other boy shook his head and gave him a chuckle.
"Well, I see your memory hasn't suffered…again." He helped Izzy sit up. "You ok cuz?"
Izzy shook the dizziness out of his head and faced Keoni. He put a smile on his face and nodded.
"Any crash you can walk away from is a good crash…" He coughed and gave Keoni a half-lidded look. "So how was it? Did I actually surf that wave? Or was I dreaming and am just now waking up in your strong arms?"
Keoni rolled his eyes, ignoring the blush creeping up his cheeks. "Bad time to kid around brah, but yeah you did surf that wave. Coulda done without that crash though."
"Yeah, no kidding…" Izzy rubbed his forehead. "Not what I'd expect from my first wave…"
"Eh no worries." Keoni shrugged and gave him a supportive smile. "Far as first waves go, that was pretty exciting to watch." He brought Izzy in for an embrace, which the darker boy was all too happy to return. "You're officially a surfer now. I'm proud of ya."
"Heh, this was totally worth it…" Izzy sighed contently.
They separated and helped each other up. Soon as they let go of each other, the one in the hat stumbled around dizzily. It seemed he was still feeling woozy from the crash.
"Oh man…" He groaned. "I think I left my legs back in the water."
"Maybe we should take five." The chocolate haired boy gave him a worried glance. "So you could get your land legs back." The other boy nodded numbly.
"Five? Better make it ten!" He slurred before falling backwards.
Keoni cringed at the sound of his body hitting sand before turning to him. Izzy was out again. Keoni would've panicked, but he noticed the smile on his friend's face as he snored. He chuckled as he reached down and undid his and Izzy's ankle leashes. Then he joined his crush on the sand.
"Wow, crazy and cute. A dangerous, but awesome combination…" He commented, lying so he was side by side with the snoozing boy. He smiled warmly as he pat his belly, remembering the blessing Izzy gave him. He gave a giggle as Leilani walked up to him.
"What's up with you, cuz?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. Keoni calmed down and turned to her with a grin.
"I think I'm falling in love, and it feels great!.!.!" He cheered as he threw his head up and laughed at full volume. Leilani gave her cousin a strange look. Wasn't he already in love with the amnesiac? She gave a shrug.
"Oh brother, I got a weirdo for a cousin…" She shook her head sorrowfully. "Is he alright?"
"Yeah he's fine." The grin was still on his face as he turned towards Izzy. "Just tired after all that time out in the water. We're gonna take a little break so he can get back some of his energy."
"Sounds good to me." Leilani nodded as she left the two lovebirds alone. "I could use a little snack right about now."
Meanwhile, at Rocket Beach…
"Woah!.!.!" Iggy yelped as he fell off his board for what felt like the hundredth time. He quickly resurfaced, giggling to himself. "Man, surfing's a lotta fun!"
The sun began to set in the sky as Iggy started making his way back to the gang. During his time on the water, he was having a blast learning how to surf. He took most of the advice he was given and applied it to his technique. In a strong contrast to his brother, he had mastered balancing on the board almost instantly. The kids, in particular Otto, were surprised at that. When they told him how fast he got it, Iggy was beaming with pride. It had seemed he was going to get surfing down fast.
Unfortunately, that was the only part that went well. Like with Izzy, the little brunette has been having tons of trouble keeping his stance on the waves. At first, it was simply him getting knocked over while turning the board or falling face first while attempting to stand. But then, it turned into falling off wave after wave while trying to remain standing. The rough waves were tough for him to get used to. He was simply not strong enough to maintain his balance. He wouldn't give up though, at least not while Otto and Sam were his coaches. He was thankful for his two big brothers.
Sadly, the leader of the group didn't share the same sentiments. After his first few failures to surf, Otto was yelling and berating him. The rest of the group would voice their complaints at this attitude, but the redhead wouldn't ease up. It was clear he thought of the entire experience as a job. He simply couldn't find any pleasure in the situation. If it wasn't for the fact that Ray punished him for the umpteenth time, he wouldn't even be bothering with Iggy and he made sure everyone else knew it.
Thankfully Sam and the others were able to counteract his bad vibes by offering Iggy their own personal advice and tips for getting his stance right. He's tried everything he was told and then some, but nothing would work. The hours flew by with Iggy not riding even the tiniest of waves successfully. Otto's "coaching" wasn't helping much either.
At one point, Iggy began to get frustrated. He slammed the water with the nose of his board shortly before burying his face in his hands and sobbing. He couldn't get the image of Otto yelling at him out of his mind. It was about as bad as the regular insults his real brother flings his way. And then the thought of his still-absent brother caused him to cry even louder.
Luckily, Sam was there to encourage him. He paddled over to the distraught boy, put a hand on his shoulder, and reassured him that he'll get himself surfing in no time. That it was tough on everyone at first. Most importantly, he reminded Iggy that they were there to have fun. While Otto was going about it all wrong, Sam reassured his little brother that surfing wouldn't be nearly as great a sport as it was if you thought of it as a chore and not as fun.
That seemed to do the trick. Iggy wiped his eyes, took a couple deep breaths, and gave Sam one of his trademark grins. He turned and grabbed the blond in an earth shattering hug, thanking him for his kind words. Twister blushed as he witnessed the scene. He had to admit he felt a little jealous that someone was holding a nearly bare Sam in their arms instead of him. Despite that, he was more moved by his crush's pep talk. It was amazing how fast Sam got Iggy back on his feet. Twister gave the love of his life a warm smile. Sam would make a fine motivational speaker someday, he felt. The cameraman snickered at the sudden thought of Sam going in front of a large group of people and thinking about the audience in their underwear. He smirked devilishly when he realized he needed to be in that audience someday.
"C'mon Iggy, get it together!" Otto shouted impatiently. "We've been out here for hours and you still can't even get through one wave!"
"Chill out, Rocket Boy!" Reggie scolded. "It's only his first time surfing!"
"He'll get it eventually." Sam agreed. "Just be patient with him."
"But it ain't that hard to hold the stance!" Otto argued. The others gave him an incredulous look. Surely, he was joking!
"Uh yeah it is bro." Twister voiced their thoughts. He put down his camera (which up til this point was focused on Iggy) to rub his temple. "Even you had trouble standing up at first, remember?"
Otto faltered. A look of guilt crossed his features as he thought back to his days as a beginning surfer. He would constantly fall off his board almost as soon as he attempted standing up. Even when he was able to keep his stance together, he could only hold it for a few seconds before losing his balance and wiping out. The boy even experienced his very first spin cycle while learning to surf. That very incident nearly ended his surfing career before it even started. He'd never admit it out loud, but he was scared to even try again at the time. If it wasn't for the encouragement and gentle guidance his sister, dad, and Tito gave him, he'd never be the awesome, rad surfer he was today. He'd be stuck on the beach, watching his friends ride the waves.
And now it came upon him to teach a new surfer the ropes, and how does he treat the young Lopez? Like a drill sergeant would treat a fresh recruit. Like dirt, like he wasn't even worth the time of day. Otto gritted his teeth and looked away. The very thought made him sick. Hadn't his father taught him better?
"Alright, alright…" The auburn haired one sighed getting over it. "Thanks guys."
The others smiled at him as Iggy returned to the lineup. He was panting as he remained lying on the board. Despite the fact he looked wiped he was giving the older kids a grin as if he was ready for more.
"Wow surfing's crazy tough!" He said cheerfully. "But it's so much fun! Like a roller coaster ride!"
Otto gave him an exasperated look. How could this kid do such insane things like play video games, love birds, crow at the crack of dawn, and most importantly, laugh at himself wiping out?.?.? It was absolutely absurd! Did he get hit on the head one too many times as a baby? Did he consume paint chips or something? How on earth do you get fun out of wiping out?.?.? It was like being proud of getting all Fs on your report card!
The leader faced his friends, still keeping that look on his face. They were giving him encouraging looks, like they wanted him to say something to his pseudo brother. He looked down at Iggy, who was smiling at him expectantly. He blinked and looked at his pals again. All three of them were nodding, conveying the message loud and clear. He desperately wished he knew what they saw in the kid. Were they trying to get back at him for merely wanting to live out his life's ambition? What would helping out this shoobie prove? Why'd his own father have to dump this wannabe surfer on him? And perhaps the most baffling question, when's the kid's brother coming back!.?.!
He groaned, not finding an answer to any of those questions. He had no idea why everything turned topsy-turvy in just under a week. Whatever the cause of all this, he had a job to do. He had to get this kid surfing eventually, but what could he do? He and his friends have tried everything they could think of, and Iggy still fell! Otto sighed. Maybe it was best to just go with the flow.
'Go with the flow…?' He gasped, realization dawning on him. 'That's it!'
"Listen up, Iggy." He started, facing the boy in question. "There's one important rule—let's call it Rocket Surfing Lesson Number Twenty-five—that I forgot to mention to ya."
"Wait a minute, I thought Lesson Twenty-five was to not get sand down your shorts." Iggy tilted his head. Otto rubbed his temple in response. He would've shouted, but he had to restrain himself.
"Focus Iggy, please…"
"Ok, big bro Otto—" The coach cringed, but only for a second. "—What's the lesson?"
"The thing is, in order to surf right you can't just go around taking everyone's advice and forcing yourself to do what they do. They're not you. Doing that'll only get you wiping out fast."
"Tell me about it…" Iggy looked to the side at a passing seagull. He turned back to Otto. "So if I'm not supposed to be taking people's tips what am I supposed to do?"
"This'll probably sound strange coming from me, but ya gotta surf with your heart." The redhead pointed at Iggy's chest. "You gotta feel the waves and go with your instinct to find the perfect way to handle them. Just like in everything else you do, you gotta put your heart into it. Otherwise, you can't be proud of whatever you do."
"You're right." Reggie spoke up, "That did sound strange coming out of your mouth." The others snickered at that, causing Otto to go red in embarrassment. She gave him a comforting look. "But it's true; you just gotta…oh what's that phrase?" She smirked. "It's on the tip of my tongue. I think you know what I mean, Rocket Boy."
Otto nodded as he turned back to Iggy. "You have to go with the flow."
Another tilt of the head from the surfer-in-training. "Go with the flow?"
"Yep, you know, hang loose? Matter of fact, lemme give ya something, dude."
"Oh!" Iggy said excitedly. "A surprise? For me? What is it?.?.?"
Otto rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Hold out your hand."
"Ok!" Iggy did as he was told, fidgeting the whole time.
Otto paddled up to him and took his hand. Iggy felt his three middle fingers get rolled into his palm. His pinky and thumb were then spread out. When Otto was done, he pulled away revealing his gift. Iggy looked at his hand curiously, trying to figure out what the meaning of the gesture was. The leader gave him a humored look.
"That's called a shaka sign." He made the same gesture with his hand and waved it in front of Iggy with the back of his hand facing the boy. "It usually means just hang loose, but I think it's used for other things, right Squid?"
"Yeah, you're right, Ottoman." Sam nodded. "I remember Tito once telling me it's used commonly in Hawaii to convey the Aloha Spirit. It also means 'cool,' 'all right,' and things like that."
"So it's a sign that's like saying 'awesome'?" Iggy asked. When the others nodded, he shouted, "Awesome!" and waved his hand just like Otto did.
"It's also used to say 'hi' and 'see ya later'." Twister spoke up.
"Wow, talk about your talkative signs!" Iggy chuckled, looking at his hand.
"So back to surfing," Otto started. "Just remember to hang loose and you'll definitely get it down packed." He looked up at the steadily darkening sky and frowned. "But not today I guess…"
Iggy put on a disappointed look when he understood what Otto meant. "Oh… Can't believe the day's already over…"
"Yeah, it's getting late." Reggie confirmed. "We better get home before our parents go aggro."
Everyone else voiced their agreements and turned towards shore. That was when Iggy looked back and noticed a large wave start up a couple of yards away. He looked at his shaka signing hand and smiled, suddenly feeling inspired. He turned to his coach.
"Big bro Otto, could I try just one more wave before we stop? I really think I can do it this time!"
"I wish he'd quit calling me that already…" Otto grumbled under his breath. He turned back to Iggy and took notice of the wave. "Alright Iggy, but make it quick. Noelani's making her famous shrimp and flounder chili tonight!"
He licked his lips at the thought of the meal waiting for him. Momentarily forgetting about the wave, Iggy gave him a bright look.
"That sounds yummy!"
"Not to me! Blech!" Twister shouted, shuddering at the thought of fish. The others gave a laugh at that. Iggy blinked curiously, wondering what the inside joke was. He shook his head and turned around.
"Ok… I'm going. Be right back!" He said, paddling towards the wave.
"You think he could surf it, Rocket Boy?" Reggie asked. Otto gave her a shrug in response.
"Maybe… He had this look in his eyes. I dunno how to explain it, but he's got something on his mind."
"Either way, I gotta get this last one on film!" Twister exclaimed, focusing his camera on Iggy again.
"Go for it, little bro!" Sam cheered him on.
The quartet looked on as Iggy paddled for a bit more before turning his board around. The wave quickly picked him up. Iggy took a deep breath before standing up. He wobbled as he stood straight up. He was about to get into his stance when he remembered what Otto just told him. He had to do things his own way if he hoped to ever surf. A determined expression appeared on his normally silly face as he spread his feet apart. His right leg was bent while his left was stretched out in front of him. He began to feel comfortable as he bent his body forward. Finally, he held his left arm in front of him and kept his right arm back. He bent them so he can have even more control of his movements.
A few moments passed and Iggy realized he wasn't falling. His board wasn't shifting in random directions. It was keeping him rigid and stuck on the wave. He looked all around himself and grinned. He was actually surfing! He's never felt more proud of himself! Thinking fast, he made the shaka sign with both hands and moved his board around the wave. He allowed himself to feel the water's movements and shifted his balance to meet those changes. It made it look like he was moving himself in a gentle slope, like a rolling hillside. He made a couple of figure eights and skidded near the bottom of the wave before shooting back up, gaining speed all the while.
The kids were cheering him on the whole time. Otto in particular was feeling like an actual teacher, full of pride for his student. He loved the fact it was his latest piece of advice that made Iggy finally get it. Now the others won't have anything to say! They can't say he didn't care about having Iggy learn how to surf or tease him anymore! He was finally going to be respected as the master of extreme sports he was!
Alas, all good things must come to an end eventually. None of the kids noticed, but while Iggy was blazing all over the wave, his ankle leash was coming undone. This couldn't have come at a worse time. Due to Iggy's speed, his fatigue, and the wave's overwhelming energy, he began to lose his balance.
"W-woah!" He shouted as the board rocked. "I think I'm losing control!"
His board shifted upwards as the leash finally snapped off his ankle. Iggy only had mere seconds to look down before he was tossed from his board. He screamed in fright as his torque sent him flying. The gang could only gape in disbelief as Iggy flipped several times through the air.
Meanwhile, a little farther down the wave, Lars was surfing along. It was the first actual moment of peace he's had all day since his sleep was interrupted by Iggy. It was bad enough he was forced out of bed (and his dreams about a certain blond) at the crack of dawn, but he was stuck doing chores the entire day. He sighed contently as he felt the majestic spray soak him. There was nothing more soothing to the bully than riding the waves. He closed his eyes, forgetting his troubles. It seemed as if nothing can take him out of his moment of bliss.
"Woooooooaaaaaahhhhhhh!.!.!" A sudden scream broke his thoughts. "GANG WAY!.!.!"
Lars only had a brief moment to look up before Iggy landed on his board, catapulting him off of it! The bully got off several swears as he flew through the air before hitting the water.
"Not for nothing, but Iggy's my hero right now." Otto commented earning himself looks of shock from the others. Ignoring that, he turned to Twister anxiously. "Tell me you got that on tape bro!"
Twister shook the shock out of his head and grinned, patting his camera, which had been running all this time. "Ohhh yeah! I got it bro!"
"YEEEEESSSSS!.!.!" Otto pumped his fist.
He may not have gotten Iggy to successfully ride the whole wave, but seeing his rival get thrown into the air more than made up for it. He made a mental note to thank his temporary brother somehow.
Speaking of whom…
"Oh man, what happened…?" Iggy said dazedly as he stood up. He quickly put on a look of shock when he realized he was still riding the wave! "Uh-oh!.!.! I gotta hang loose!"
He struggled to maintain his balance but it wasn't happening. With a frightened yelp, he finally wiped out. After resurfacing, he hung his head low as he allowed the board to drift towards shore. When he finally got back to the beach, he stuck the board in the sand and sat, hugging his legs. He had failed. He thought for sure he was going to ride the wave all the way through. He wanted to see the looks of pride on Otto and Sam's faces when they saw he could surf at long last. Instead, he was certain they'd be disappointed in him. He kept his face hidden as everyone returned to shore.
"Are you alright, Iggy?" Sam asked. Iggy shook his head in response.
"C'mon, don't feel bad." Reggie reassured. "It was definitely your best attempt yet."
"Yeah! Thanks to you, I got some epic footage for my next video!" Twister added. He had meant that too. He couldn't wait to get home and get that footage of Lars uploaded to his editing software. "I'm so gonna make Lars look gnarly! YouTube won't know what hit it!"
Sam gave him a reproachful look. He hoped the other boy wouldn't make the bully look too bad.
Either way, Iggy didn't look convinced. It was clear he was still feeling down. That was when Otto walked up to him.
"Iggy, look up."
The younger boy did as he was told. He was surprised to see that instead of being disappointed, Otto was smiling at him. He was doing the shaka sign. Iggy's face brightened as he returned the sign.
"You'll get it tomorrow, no worries. Just hang loose."
Iggy nodded at that. He gave a grin as he jumped to his feet.
"Yeah, you're right! I'm gonna get it first thing in the morning! As long as I have my trusty board, I'm gonna keep—OH NO, THE BOARD!.!.!" He gasped when he remembered what happened while on the wave.
"I lost it!.!.!" He gulped when he realized what that meant. "And it wasn't even mine either…"
He nervously turned towards Reggie, looking for forgiveness. The elder Rocket had a look of apprehension on her face as she contemplated how her father would react when he finds out what happened to the board meant to only be a rental. She was about to speak when a low growl filled the air. The quintet turned and found the source of the noise.
Lars had just walked back on shore, carrying Iggy's board under his arm. He was seething and glaring at the little boy. His eyes were dangerously bloodshot. His face was red in unbridled fury. His teeth were grinding loudly. The other kids went pale at the sight. They were frozen in fear. Lars slowly stomped past them towards Iggy, intent on killing him, when the would-be victim gasped.
"Hey, you got my board, Mr. Lars!" He shouted, relief washing over him.
Before the gang could stop Iggy, he grabbed Lars' board and ran over to him. To them, it was like watching a gazelle willingly walk up to a drooling lion. Iggy grinned as he took Lars' free hand and shook it.
"Thanks so much for returning the board! I thought I would've had to owe Mr. Rocket big time for it!"
"Oh don't you worry…" Lars snickered, pulling his hand away. "You'll owe someone alright, but it won't be him!"
He balled his hand into a fist, getting ready to punch Iggy's lights out. Otto's eyes widened as he remembered that other part of his dad's punishment. He couldn't let Iggy get hurt! Thinking fast, he quickly spoke up.
"Hey Iggy, that was a pretty sweet move you pulled on that last wave! Whaddya call it?"
"Huh?" Iggy turned around swiftly.
°WHAM!.!.!°
"Augh!.!.!" Lars grunted, having just got hit with his own board. He dropped Iggy's board and held his nose as he glared at the boy.
"You can name moves?" Iggy asked, still unaware of the danger. Otto nodded at that, trying very hard not to bust out laughing.
Lars quickly got back his second wind and made to attack again.
"LOPEZ!.!.!"
°SLAM!.!.!°
"Yeah?" The boy in question turned to the bully, who was just struck in the stomach. Poor Lars was doubled over in pain. Iggy raised an eyebrow. "Erm, are you ok?"
"Oh yeah… Never better…" Lars grumbled as he stood and reared back a fist. "Because now you're gonna—"
"Hey Iggy!" Twister spoke up, wanting to get in on this. "I wanna show ya the footage from today's session! You looked really cool today!"
"REALLY?.?.?"
Lars paled when he saw the grin on Iggy's face. He turned his head as if looking at an imaginary camera and put on a foreboding look.
"No…"
°POW!.!.!°
That last strike hit Lars in the back of the head, knocking him out. He fell face down onto the sand. Out of the four kids watching, Sam was cringing at having witnessed his other crush get beaten so easily. And by someone that wasn't even fighting him, no less! If it wasn't for the fact everyone else was nearby, he would've run over and tried to get the older brunet to wake up.
"Man that was hilarious!" Otto laughed, giving Iggy a thumbs-up. "Good job, dude!"
"Huh? Good job?" Iggy gave him a curious look. "Whaddya mean?"
"Don't worry about it." Reggie snickered, waving a dismissive hand. "Grab your board so we can get outta here."
"Ok!" Iggy turned and walked over to Lars. He laid down the bully's board beside its unconscious owner and picked up his own board. "Thanks again for bringing back my board! I really appreciate it!" He added, running off with the others.
As they ran back to the rental shop to change, Sam was repeatedly looking back at Lars' sleeping form. He was worried about the boy's safety. He didn't want Lars to get sick. He sighed as he made his way to the locker room. He couldn't go to him even if he wanted to. What would Twister say? There was a longing, forlorn look in his eyes as he got ready to head home.
Soon, the sun was just a sliver in the sky. Lars was finally waking up. He sat up and rubbed the back of his head, which was still sore. He was glowering horribly when he remembered how he wound up getting knocked out in the first place. The only thing on his mind at that moment was the crowing, surfboard-wielding scourge of his sanity. He faced the hill leading up to the cul-de-sac and shook his fist.
"I don't care how long it takes, that little punk is gonna pay!.!.!"
A/N: I want to thank Mike2000 for providing me with several ideas for this chapter. Thanks a lot, buddy! Couldn't have gotten it done without ya!